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If you’re unhappy in your job, it may be time to take action. In today’s article, I share tips for dealing with a bad work environment that will hopefully alleviate some of the negative feelings you’ve been facing.

It’s the last leg of Memorial Day Weekend, and for many of us, that means we’ve enjoyed a three-day weekend in honor of the men and women who died serving our country. Whether spending more time with family, going away for the weekend, or simply just resetting your brain for the week ahead, it is undeniably nice to have that extra day off. But, that extra day doesn’t really matter if you work in an unhealthy atmosphere and always dread going back to work every week. That kind of negativity can not only affect your productivity but your overall mindset as well, which could essentially be holding you back in your career.

In fact, professional solutions agency Willis Towers Watson states “employees suffering from high-stress levels have lower engagement, are less productive and have higher absentee levels than those not operating under excessive pressure,” as shown in their 2014 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey. Leaving your job for another is easier said than done, but it does not mean that improvements can’t be made. Below you’ll find some tips for dealing with a bad work environment.

Tips for Dealing with a Bad Work Environment

#1: Have a Daily Refocus Meeting

If you manage a team or the office as a whole, try to incorporate a daily refocus meeting with the group. By doing so, you can make sure everyone is on the same page with the big picture. Discuss goals and the focus of the day to help keep everyone on track. The objective is to maintain a focus at work, keep everyone positive, and deter people from office pettiness. If you don’t hold a management position, see if your supervisor would be willing to do this and explain your reasons why you feel it is necessary.

#2: Implement a Plan of Action

In the daily refocus meeting, express or suggest a series of steps that staff or coworkers will take to achieve the daily tasks. Again, if you are not in control of this, see if this is something you may be able to work out with your boss.

#3: Assist with Time Management

Some people do not do well with time management, and sometimes this occurs due to a lack of direction or not enough to do. With more time on their hands, it leaves room for work pettiness to happen. When you notice this, follow up with your staff on current projects and make sure they have a clear to-do list. You don’t need to micromanage, but you do need to keep tabs on projects. The challenge is to not overload them while also ensuring they do have enough to do to keep them focused throughout the day.

As the co-worker and not a manager, you can simply be an advocate for the daily office goals by not feeding into the negativity of others. It may get lonely, but you’ll keep yourself focused on what you are paid to do instead of paying attention to unimportant details and office drama.

#4: Take the High Road

Being the bigger person does not mean you are better than anyone else; it simply means that you are looking onward and upward. Remember, too, that we all have our own personal challenges we are facing, so try not to take comments or issues personally. Instead, see how the individual is doing and how you can help them, even if just taking them for lunch to let them vent about their life. Knowing someone cares may be all they need to help them find better outlets or ways of dealing with their problems.

As a former office manager, I have had to hold the position of mediator on more than one occasion in order to improve office morale. If you do not have control of this at your job, you can still avoid overstepping by having a one-on-one meeting with your boss and letting them know how the work environment is affecting your own productivity. You do not need to mention any names in the office, but it may prompt your manager to take action.

However, if you do not have a supportive boss, these are issues that may never be resolved, and it, unfortunately, may be time to look into other working for another company. Hopefully, though, the above advice can help you in your current situation, at least in some aspects.

What tips for dealing with a bad work environment would you add to the list?

Although many vets choose to work within a recognized practice as associates, a few choose to venture out on their own. If you decide to build your own practice from the ground up, you need all the advice you can get. Starting any business is a difficult undertaking; however, with careful planning, the process can be quite smooth.

Here are some tips that will come in handy when starting your own vet practice:

Create a business plan

Coming up with a business plan should be the first step when starting any business. Your business plan should detail a variety of topics, including the services that will be offered, size of your operation, funding sources, and marketing plans.

Establish a launch team

You have to secure the services of a professional team before you open a vet clinic. You need an accountant, real estate agent, and financial lender if you want your clinic to start on the right foot.

Secure funding

Acquiring financial backing is an important part of starting any business. Starting a small animal clinic can cost about 1 million dollars to start. This is a substantial investment for most people; this is why many of them prefer to become associates at established clinics.

Although your funding can come from your savings, it might not be that easy to raise the capital on your own. The unprecedented rate at which student debts are growing makes it impossible for most young vets to self-fund. Other sources of funding that you should consider are friends, family, angel investors, and fundraising sites.

Find a location for your clinic

Will you open a practice in an existing building or build your own facility? Each of these options has its own benefits and drawbacks. You also need to decide whether you will buy or lease a location. If you are low on funds, you should consider mobile vet clinics to save on money.

You also have to research noise ordinances as well as any applicable zoning before you consider buying a property. Your client base needs to access your clinic with ease and have sufficient parking space. Hiring a real estate agent to do this for you will save on time.

Obtain licenses and regulatory approvals

Veterinarians need apply for state and federal narcotics licenses for dispensing drugs. Your clinic should also comply with OSHA rules, have a business license, and pay all your state board fees. Specific requirements tend to vary, so you should research those in your area.

Come up with a marketing plan

A marketing plan is an important step in this process. If you know nothing about marketing, you can enlist the help of a professional. However, you should start by naming your business and obtaining a logo.

These will be vital for all building signage, adverts, as well as your website.

You should consider using social media, local magazines, and direct mail to advertise your business.

Buy equipment and supplies

Once you have a location, you should start looking for the tools and supplies that you will need. Your clinic will only become functional once you outfit it with the proper equipment: laboratory instruments, pet supplies, drugs, and pet food.

Figure out how to accept payments

Once you start getting clients, you can ask them to pay using cash. You should also open a business account and ask your clients to write checks that are directly payable to you. Consider gettingcard processing for veterinarians to make it easier for your clients to pay using credit cards.

Once you start your own practice, make sure that you market it properly to get customers.

Author Bio:

Taby G. is a super-connector with Towering SEO and OutreachMama who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. With over 6 years of writing experience, Taby bring a vast amount of knowledge, style and skill to every project. Her expertise lies in article/blog writing, eBooks, and SEO/informational writing. Copywriting and fiction are the icing of her work with excellent research skills and flawless grammar.

A great presenter is a confident presenter. While you’ll obviously have to have sound subject knowledge and a great connection to your audience, you will also need to ensure that your presentation kit is up to scratch. Of course, your technical needs will vary from presentation to presentation and venue to venue, but generally speaking there are several key items that you should always have close to hand.

Handy Handouts
Most delegates will appreciate a personal printout of your presentation, plus any applicable notes and an evaluation form if you’re feeling brave. It’s advisable to distribute these after you have finished presenting, to ensure full focus from the room. In addition, even if you have your speech down pat, you should always have two (always print off a spare) hard copies of your lecture neatly filed in presentation binders close to hand in case of technical problems or stage fright. Use a large font – this makes key points easier to find quickly.

Top Tech
When you’re packing your laptop, take some time to consider what other vital equipment you may need. Items such as a projector (don’t forget a spare bulb!) and portable screen, remote, headphones, microphone and video adapter are often provided by conference centres, but are all useful to have in case of technical failure, and you may find it less stressful to use kit that you are familiar with.

Super Sound
Your room mayor not be equipped with a sound system. If not, you’ll need external speakers. When shopping around for these, keep in mind the general rule that the bigger the room, the more powerful your speakers will need to be.

Essential Accessories
You should also include a decent extension cord, plus duct tape to secure it safely if you need to run it from a plug some distance away.

Backup Batteries
Always make sure you’ve got a backup laptop battery, as if your laptops decides to die on the day of a big presentation, you’ll be in a very tight spot indeed. In an ideal world, you could consider investing (or asking your company to invest in a universal power supply. Prices have come down a lot recently, and they are far more portable than the used to be. While we on the subject, don’t forget to stock up on batteries for each and every battery powered item in your technical arsenal.

Time is Money
Rather than relying on the clock on your laptop, think about sourcing a portable timer. Pick one with a clear display so that you can keep an eye on time, and avoid running over.

Better to be safe than sorry
If you know that you will be coming and going from your conference space, it’s advisable to protect your laptop with a high spec security cable.

Keep hydrated
Nerves can make the best speakers dry mouthed. Err on the side of caution and make sure that you always have a couple of bottles of mineral water tucked away in your presentation kit.